Travel and Accommodation

Conference participants are responsible for organizing their own travel to and accommodation in Berlin.

Travel to Berlin

From Germany or nearby European countries, see the Deutsche Bahn website for trains to Berlin. The central station is Berlin Hauptbahnhof, however most trains also stop at several other stations in Berlin. If you are staying in the west of the city, it may be more convenient for you to alight at Zoologischer Garten station, if your train stops there. All stations are connected to the public transport network (S- and U-Bahn, i.e. city trains and metro, as well as trams and buses), and taxis are always available right outside the stations.

Long distances buses usually stop at the ZOB (Zentrale Omnibusbahnhof, or central bus station) which is in the west of the city close to the S-Bahn station “Messe Nord/ICC” and the U-Bahn station “Kaiserdamm”.

Berlin has two airports, Schönefeld and Tegel. As Tegel Airport is in the west of the city, it may be more convenient for your accommodation, however access to Schönefeld airport is also no problem. Tegel is connected with the city centre by bus; Schönefeld by S-Bahn and regional train.

Travel within Berlin and to the Freie Universität Berlin

Berlin’s public transport network is comprehensive and easy to understand. Tickets are valid on all forms of transport (bus, tram, S-Bahn, U-Bahn and regional trains within the city limits). For trips within the city, you need an AB-zone ticket, either a one-way ticket (valid for two hours) or a day ticket. If you are coming from Schönefeld airport, you need an ABC-zone ticket. You can download network maps or use the online maps, as well as plan your journey, at the transport authority (BVG) website.

The Freie Universität is located in the Dahlem district in the south-west of the city on the U3 metro line. The easiest access is from the station “Freie Universität”, also called “Thielplatz”.

Accommodation

As the Freie Universität Berlin is located in a very residential district some distance from the city centre, there is little accommodation close by, and that which there is is very expensive. However, the university is easy to access using the U-Bahn from all parts of the city (travel times approx. 20–40 minutes). For easy and quick access to the university, we recommend choosing accommodation situated anywhere close to a U-Bahn (metro) or S-Bahn (city train) station in West Berlin, for example in the Charlottenburg or Wilmersdorf districts, both of which have a large number of hotels and hostels across the whole price spectrum. If you prefer to stay in another Berlin district, check the BVG website for public transport connections and simply plan a little more travel time to get to the university.